Testing Your Metabolism & So Much More At Home!

A couple of days ago, I posted a photo of my EverlyWell test on Instagram. I had so many questions, and a lot of you were just as excited as I am! I loved the whole at-home kit process so much, that I have two more tests on the way!

I was introduced to EverlyWell last year when one of my friends showed me their test results from a food sensitivity test. I thought it was so neat that they could take a test at home instead of dealing with the hassle of finding the right doctor, making the trip to a doctor, waiting forever, and then paying a ton of money for the tests. When EverlyWell asked if I was interested in partnering with them, I had no hesitations. I knew this would be something you all would love! I’m already hooked. I have stayed on top of my health this year to stick with my resolutions. Lowering my cortisol levels, managing stress, and eating healthier has been a main priority of mine. When my doctor told me that my cortisol levels were skyrocketing, it made sense as to why I was gaining weight while working out, not sleeping well, and having episodes of panic attacks.

He told me to cut back on caffeine, and I’ve been doing one a day now. If I have more, it’s because it’s decaf. I drank a couple extra cups in Hawaii, but being on “vacation” was my excuse. I was told to cut back on my HIIT workouts and long distance running. I cut back on running after getting hurt during my half marathon, and cut my HIIT workouts to once a week. I traded those workouts for fun ones like tennis and relaxing ones like yoga and long dog walks.

It’s no secret that being active and eating the right foods is the key to living healthy, but sometimes that isn’t enough. What if the healthy foods we are eating and the workouts we are doing cause more havoc than good? If you’re noticing any abnormal symptoms, you could start with an EverlyWell test to rule some things out before chatting with your doctor.
There are so many tests to choose from on EverlyWell. I immediately sent the link to my parents for them to check out. I would love to see my parents take a food sensitivity test. Having a sensitivity to food can affect your skin, stomach, headaches, energy levels, and so much more. It’s good to rule out simple things that could be causing health issues.

EverlyWell has also included a discount code for 15% off your order! Just use code: TARALYNN when checking out!
My test arrived quickly, which is good because I was so excited for this one. The directions are so easy and simple to follow. I decided to set it all up the night before because you have to take it within thirty minutes of waking up, before drinking water, and before having anything to eat.
As soon as I got my kit, I made sure to register it online. I read the simple directions and then set everything aside for me to start testing as soon as I woke up!
I am very sensitive to shots and to giving blood.

I actually have to lay down in order to have my blood drawn at the doctor. Even typing this has me cringing! Testing with EverlyWell at home is much less terrifying. All you have to do is prick your finger. If you can’t pull yourself to do it (raising my hand here), have a friend or family member do it for you. It’s honestly not a big deal at all, but I’m such a baby when it comes to blood. I designated my friend Caitlin to help.

The whole process took about ten minutes, I packaged it all up, and placed it in the mailbox!
Within three days, my test results showed up directly on my private EverlyWell profile.

I was really happy about seeing my cortisol levels in normal range. This made me proud of all the changes I’ve made these past months, and proud of the results. When you’re online, you can click to read more about your test and your results. If you’re unfamiliar with cortisol, TSH, or testosterone, EverlyWell provides resources to learn how they affect your metabolism and overall health. If you want to test your thyroid along with your metabolism, you can take a thyroid test that’ll check more thyroid hormone levels. A lot of doctors only check for TSH, when it comes to thyroid, but there is so much more to test.

I think I’m officially hooked on taking these at-home EverlyWell tests! I just used my own code (no shame) to buy the food sensitivity test! I’ll share those results with you as soon as I get them back.

I want to try the cortisol test, which I guess is a part of the metabolism test? I am concerned about my cortisol because I take a couple of stimulants, like, levothyroxin for my thyroid and vyvanse for my adhd. I read online about adrenal tests, but you have to get them done at the doctor. So, I am thinking I can take the cortisol test a few different times as a precursor to see where I am at. Also, I want to take tests for food sensitivity, blood sugar, and vitamin-D and inflammation.

My end game is trying to figure out my blood sugar and cortisol levels so that I might able to try intermittent fasting to see if this can help me lose weight. I read that thyroid patients can do this type of eating plan as long as they have consistent blood sugar and cortisol. Of course, I will discuss all of this with my doctor! Ha ha.

I don’t see a problem with giving one of these tests as a Fathers Day gift, especially since you mentioned your dad is working on changing his eating habits to promote his health. A test could assist him in obtaining his goal.

Question: I saw that your TSH was 1.8. I know that is within normal on the low range, but it is at the cusp. So, I wondered, did you do any further thyroid testing to check your T3 and T4 to see what’s up with those numbers? Thanks for sharing!

Yes! The cortisol test is included in the metabolism test. It’s a great start to see where you’re at if you’re concerned and a great tool to bring in to your doctor.

I’ve been doing a form of intermittent fasting for two weeks 16:8 and I’ve noticed a big difference in energy, reduced inflammation, and less bloating! I don’t weight myself, but certainly feel different.

True! My dad has lost about 44lbs this year and I’m so proud of him! I think a food sensitivity test would be great for him!

I have a post coming soon about T3 levels and T4 levels! I did some testing with my doctor and had some concerns for sure. Thank you for pointing that out to me though!

Oh this is SO COOL and definitely something I want to do. Actually, as I was looking through all their tests, I was like, “I want that one and that one and that one…”. Knowledge is power! And knowing these things about your own body can make a huge difference in how you go about your day. I’m definitely curious about my cortisol levels as a teacher. I have a feeling I could use to make some changes to lower them.
I’d also love to try the food sensitivities, the metabolism, and the fertility ones. Told you I had a list!
You can definitely pull this off as a gift :). Maybe I’ll buy Ben one!

I am going to order the metabolism and thyroid kits! I was diagnosed hypothyroid when I was about 12, but I never really thought much about it other than the fact that I have to take a pill every day. Recently though I’ve been more interested in thyroid function and the different testing that can be done besides just checking TSH. I’ve also been more interested in how cortisol levels and sleep can effect weight loss. I already struggle so much with losing weight due to my thyroid, it would be awesome to go more in depth and maybe find some new things that might help me out, and I think Everly Well might be a great starting point!

I love this and even before you posted this article I checked Everly Well out because of your Intagram picture! I am definitely interested in the food sensitivity testing — I have done a lot of “cleanses” but always dive back into eating “anything” after that it doesn’t specifically show what I may be sensitive too. Thank you for sharing your results and providing us with a great way to get answers!

Maybe you could get away with buying this as a Father’s Day Gift if you also include tailoring a meal to your Dad’s results if he does the food sensitivity test… Like if his results say that he is sensitive to eggs, make an Egg-Free treat??